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Recycling solution to grave problem

Georgia Waters

The supply of new graves in Brisbane is expected to be exhausted in as little as 10 to 15 years. Photo: Michele Mossop

Reusable graves and eco-friendly funerals have been touted as possible solutions to the exhaustion of cemetery space in southeast Queensland.

The solutions were suggested in an issues paper tabled in State Parliament on Friday by a committee charged with heading an inquiry into the future of burials and cremations in Queensland.

The paper warned that death rates in Queensland were rising, most severely in the state's southeast, while at the same time cemeteries were running out of space.

"Without some form of intervention, grave sites in Brisbane cemeteries will become significantly more difficult and expensive to provide and acquire," committee chair Carryn Sullivan, MP for Pumicestone, wrote in the paper.

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There are currently fewer than 30,000 deaths annually in Queensland, and that number is expected to double in 30 years.

However the increase in death rate won't be spread evenly throughout the state.

"Collectively, two thirds (16,445 deaths or 67 per cent) of the projected increase in deaths for the whole state in 20 years will be in one region - southeast Queensland," the paper said.

"This will have a profound impact on the demand on the region's funeral industry."

The rate is expected to nearly double in Brisbane by 2031, and increase by 113 per cent on the Gold Coast, 114 per cent on the Sunshine Coast and by a whopping 157 per cent in West Moreton (taking in Ipswich and surrounds) over the same period.

"It's a much more serious issue for southeast Queensland because more people are dying [in SEQ] than anywhere else because of the population," Ms Sullivan told brisbanetimes.com.au today.

"So other areas have got plenty of land but southeast Queensland doesn't. People are going to have to travel miles and miles and miles to see loved ones [buried elsewhere] if they live in Brisbane."

Brisbane City Council submitted to the inquiry that their supply of new graves would be exhausted in as little as 10 to 15 years.

The inquiry has suggested several potential solutions, including:

• extinction of tenure for old graves;

• the development of family graves;

• the use of vacant/partially used graves;

• renewable tenure for graves;

• better utilisation of cemetery lands;

• the promotion of cremation and other alternatives including bio-cremation or Aquamation; and

• the opening of new cemeteries including new land sources for future cemeteries.

In Queensland, a one-off payment secures a grave site forever, the paper said. However in South Australia and Western Australia, sites are purchased for a period of 25-50 years, after which it can be renewed with further payment.

"If the rights are not renewed, the cemetery manager is able to reuse the grave at some time in the future with any remains uncovered during reuse transferred to an ossuary," the paper reported.

Ms Sullivan said she was not aware of any community backlash against the practice in Western Australia or South Australia.

"I don't think it's compulsory and I'd like to see it in Queensland," she said.

"Because it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. There are a lot of graves in Queensland that are more than 100 years old and of course some of them are war graves or significant graves and they should be exempt."

Ms Sullivan said she had been overwhelmed by the interest the issues paper had provoked.

"It's generated a lot more media coverage than anything I've worked on in ten years," she said.

"It's the one thing that affects everybody."

The inquiry, The environmental impacts of conventional burials and cremations, was formed in March this year to be run by the state government's Environment and Resources Committee.

However the committee is expected to be dissolved in tomorrow's State Budget, prompting Ms Sullivan to table the issues paper in the hope the issue will be taken up by another committee or MP.

6 comments so far

Cemeteries - Perfectly good waste of real estate.

Commenter

Jack

Location

Brisbane - High and Dry

Date and time

June 13, 2011, 4:03PM

Considering funerals are only for the benefit of the living, it makes sense to change people's views and expectations. Cremation seems to be the logical choice. After all, once we're dead what does it matter what happens to our empty shell? Funerals and burying are only to make the living feel better. Personally, I'd be happy to be hung out in the garden for the birds to peck at! (when I'm dead, that is).

Commenter

Snapper

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

June 13, 2011, 4:03PM

Agree with Snapper, chuck my body into a bush somewhere on Fraser Island so the dingoes can have a good feed. The worms have enough to eat, may as well put the flesh to good use. Just double-check I'm dead first.

Commenter

Matt

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

June 13, 2011, 4:42PM

I really don't understand why people want to rot away in a casket. If we're running out of grave spaces theres a simple solution...have people cremated. I know thats the way I want to go.

Commenter

Liam

Location

Auchenflower

Date and time

June 13, 2011, 8:50PM

Another stunningly inept idea from a stunningly stupid group of politicians/ What's next? Soylent Green anyone?

Commenter

Scott H

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

June 13, 2011, 11:40PM

graves in most brisbane cemeteries have always been reused like this. check the bcc online grave location records and you will two or three unrelated people in most graves. i think the reuse gap used to be about 30 years.

bcc have abandoned hope of getting rid of their historical cemeteries by letting them rot away and are now cashing in by reusing them, which is fair enough. some cemeteries are heritage-listed and so there should be no chance that older graves are reused the historical headstones are dumped, but that's one issue that needs to be addressed up front.